Some bands thrive on contention. The give and take of cantankerous relationships can help to inform the music, to say nothing of the lore. Fraternal mashups aren’t the entire story with post-hardcore heroes Thursday, but they’re a part of this band’s arc along with the music and the misfortunes.
In 2004, vocalist Geoff Rickly had an allergic reaction to his epilepsy medication on stage at Coachella and began coughing up blood mid-set, leaving his bandmates and the audience horrified. It was an awful break for the creators of 2001’s Full Collapse, which would go on to become an influential 21st Century punk album, a blast of melody and brutality that embodies post-hardcore’s collisional potential.
The health emergency disrupted touring for Thursday’s 2003 album, War All The Time, and it heightened internal tensions that RIckly told Revolver magazine were too much to overcome. He was preparing to quit. Cooler heads prevailed and Thursday put out three more full-length albums between 2006 and 2011 plus a pair of EPs.
But behind the scenes, Rickly’s heroin habit was one factor in an impending split. Thursday dissolved in 2011 and the breakup seemed permanent until they re-emerged in 2016 to play Atlanta’s Wrecking Ball festival. Rickly was still struggling at that point to get clean, but he spoke optimistically about Thursday being able to reconcile after five years apart.
They haven’t made a new album since 2011’s No Devolución, but lately they’ve stayed busy: playing Riot Fest; touring with peers including New Jersey comrades My Chemical Romance; and collaborating with the creative collective Two Minutes To Midnight on a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s ”Dancing in the Dark,” a tribute to their home state’s most iconic rocker.
Rickly published his debut novel in 2023, “Someone Who Isn’t Me,” drawing on his own experiences in 2017 using psychedelics to treat his addiction. War All The Time, which turned 20 last year, is the centerpiece of the current tour. It might be safe to say that Thursday is back for good, but who knows what tomorrow will bring.
Thursday, with Rival Schools and Many Eyes, play 6pm Friday, February 16 at Revolution Live in Fort Lauderdale. thursday.net ~ Tim Moffatt
